TYRONE boss Ger Donnelly said it was no surprise that Diarmuid Martin delivered the HAMMER blow to Kerry.
Martin stepped in for the All-Ireland Minor final to replace West Ham United recruit Joel Kerr.
Kerr was contracted to the Hammers from the start of July so couldn’t play in the final – despite netting in the semi-final.
But it turned out Tyrone had a like-for-like replacement as Martin blasted three points – including the 63rd minute winner.
Tyrone trailed by four points with 11 minutes to go in Newbridge and were still a point down deep into stoppage time.
But Peter Colton, who’d earlier netted from the penalty spot, tied the game up at 1-15 apiece.
And Martin capped a fine game with the winning score in the dying moments to clinch Tyrone’s first title since 2010, their ninth in all.
The Red Hands have already claimed back-to-back U-20 titles and their seniors will play Kerry next weekend – so a landmark treble remains on the cards.
Donnelly heaped praised on powerful forward Martin for his decisive role in the landmark minor win.
Donnelly said: “I knew that he would have a big game. I said, ‘Diarmo, you’ll come in and you’re going to have a big day’ – and he scored the winner! You just couldn’t script it.
“He’s had injuries but every week Diarmuid has been getting sharper and sharper and we just unloaded him for the final and he got three points from play.”
There were reports only hours before the game that Kerr might actually feature – despite his contractual ties to Premier League outfit West Ham.
But Donnelly said: “No, no, we knew straight away. We knew that from the first of July, he was a West Ham player. Me and his father had constant chats.
“Joel is a West Ham player, he’s away now starting his career. I just chatted to him there. He’s the happiest man going. Fair play to him, he’s a good lad and fair play to the team, they all stood up.”
The list of young heroes in red and white was lengthy. Colton finished with 1-2 while Eoin Long struck 0-5.
He rattled the woodwork with a shot during Tyrone’s late rally too and fired another attempt just over as the Ulster champions turned the screw impressively.
James Mulgrew scored three points from midfield, an area where Tyrone dominated in the second-half with Padraig Goodman also excellent.
It was a sweet success for boss Donnelly whose reign began with a one-point All-Ireland final loss to Meath back in 2021.
He said: “I was asked back after the three-year term was up and I came back in. Had we won this in 2021, maybe I wouldn’t have come back. The drive was definitely there to do what we have done now.”
Current senior goalkeeper Niall Morgan was a happy man too. He’s part of a tight-knit Tyrone minor backroom along with former senior star Ciaran Gourley and Sean Murphy.
Donnelly is adamant that it’s not the last we’ve heard of his minors, insisting they’ll be future seniors.
He said: “There’s absolutely no doubt about that. These guys are something else. They’re special. The only sad thing for us is that the season is over.”
Kerry lost no face in defeat. Wayne Quillinan’s Munster champions led 1-7 to 0-8 at half-time and pushed Tyrone all the way.
In fact, when Ben Kelliher nudged them a point ahead with a brilliant solo score on the hour, which still separated them in the 63rd minute, they were in pole position themselves.
And even after Martin’s winning point for Tyrone, Kelliher pushed for an equaliser to force extra-time but was crowded out close to goal in the very last play.
Wing-back Danny Murphy was a strong performer for Kerry as well, scoring a first-half point and playing the ball for Kelliher’s goal approaching the interval.
Alex Tuohy’s GPS unit was smoking also as he put in the hard yards, scoring one point and setting up both Murphy and later Tadhg O’Connell for scores.
Gearoid White and Kevin Griffin two-pointers in the third quarter nudged Kerry into that 1-13 to 0-12 lead and suggested great gains.
But they couldn’t hold on for a landmark win, their first since 2018, as Tyrone came with their late rally.
Kerry boss Quillinan said: “I am absolutely heartbroken. But on the flipside, I am so proud of them. That is the overriding feeling I have. Those guys left it all out there. How can you complain about that? You just can’t.”
Tyrone outscored Kerry by 1-4 to 0-2 in all in the closing 15 minutes or so – despite playing into the stiff wind.
Quillinan said: “We went four up and Tyrone responded and credit to Tyrone for that. That’s the sign of a great team – we came back at them and they didn’t die.”
Tyrone 1-16
Kerry 1-15
Tyrone: R Donnelly; E Kerr, P Goodman, C McCrystal; A Quinn 0-1, J Daly, T Meenan; J Mulgrew 0-3, 1 tp, P Donaghy; C Farley, P Colton 1-2, 0-1f, D McAnespie 0-1, 1f; D Martin 0-3, E Long 0-5, 3f, P McDonald.
Subs: MF Daly 0-1 for McAnespie 44, V Gormley for McDonald 48, M Kennedy for Long 59.
Kerry: R Kennedy; E Joy, R Sheridan, T O Slatara; D Murphy 0-2, D Sargent, M Clifford; M O Se, J Curtin 0-1; M O’Carroll, G White 0-4, 1 tp, 1f, A Tuohy 0-1; B Kelliher 1-2, K Griffin 0-3, 1 tp, 1 45, T O’Connell 0-2.
Subs: N Lacey for O’Connell 44, J Kissane for O Se 52, P O Mainnin for O’Carroll 54.
Referee: T Murphy (Galway).
